Latest Low-Cost Probe Lifted Off Sunday Afternoon

NASA's Interstellar Boundary Explorer mission, or IBEX,
successfully launched from the Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific Ocean
on Sunday afternoon. IBEX will be the first spacecraft to image and
map dynamic interactions taking place in the outer solar
system.

Winning TSAT Contract Key To Maintaining Market Niche

A new generation of military communications satellites, called
"TSAT," could have as big an effect on communications as global
positioning satellites had on navigation, and winning the contract
for the project is crucial to maintaining Boeing’s position
as a leading satellite manufacturer.

Nope, It's Not A Jet Or A Turboprop -- It's A Cessna 182

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick has become the latest state
official to shave budget costs by deciding to sell a state-owned
aircraft, but don't expect another
Citation or even a
King Air to hit the selling block as a
result.

Past And Present Employees Restore Second Prototype
EMB-110

At a commemorative observance of the 40th anniversary of the
first flight of the Bandeirante prototype, which occurred on
October 22, 1968, Embraer presented the second prototype of
the Bandeirante, after a careful restoration process performed by
current and former employees. Members of the original team
responsible for designing and building the aircraft were in
attendance at this weekend's gathering, as were several public
officials.

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Travolta, Newton-John Join LA Mayor In Greeting First
Flight

Qantas became the first airline to operate commercial A380
flights between Australia and the west coast of the United States,
when its inaugural A380 service arrived at Los Angeles
International Airport Monday morning.

Not All Air Force Reserve Pilots Fly Fighters...

One of the standouts among an impressive roster of expert
performances was a stirring routine performed by Veteran Pilot (in
more ways than one), Ed Hamill, flying on behalf of the USAFR.
While a number of the hottest Air Force Reserve pilots may get to
fly the sleek new F-22 Raptor; Ed Hamill, a member of the Air Force
Reserve, uses his Air Force Reserve Biplane to tell the story of
air show performance trends through the last century as he lives
his dream.

The Candidates Answer Identical Questions On Topics Important
To Pilots

Rather than openly endorsing a candidate for President of the
United States in the upcoming election, the Aircraft Owners and
Pilots Association chose to simply pose identical questions to both
hopefuls... and let the readers decide for themselves.

Builds Upon Network Of Factory-Owned Service Centers

Hawker Beechcraft Corporation (HBC) broke ground last week to
expand its Hawker Beechcraft Services (HBS) aircraft maintenance
and service facility at the Indianapolis International Airport. The
$14 million investment will include dramatic enhancements that
consist of a state-of-the-art maintenance center and the creation
of up to 50 new jobs.

Painstaking Restoration Of Rare Two-Seater Completed

With its Rolls Royce Merlin engine and beautiful elliptical
wings, the Supermarine Spitfire is both a design icon and a piece
of British history. Last week, the number of airworthy Spitfires
grew... as a rare two-seat variant took to the skies for its first
time following a lengthy restoration.

Half Of Aeroshell Structure That Will Protect Space Probe

Lockheed Martin recently delivered the backshell for the Mars
Science Laboratory (MSL) to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in
Pasadena, CA. The backshell is half of the large and sophisticated
two-part aeroshell that will encapsulate and protect the MSL rover
during its deep space cruise to Mars, and from the intense heat and
friction that will be generated as the system descends through the
Martian atmosphere.

Aero-Linx!

The National WASP WWII Museum seeks to educate and inspire every
generation with the history of the WASP: Women Airforce Service
Pilots of WWII, the first women in history to fly American's
military aircraft, and who forever changed the role of women in
aviation!

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Aero-Terms!

"As much as I enjoy traveling by bus, I will travel
many more miles by air during this campaign."

Source: Senator John McCain, Republican
candidate for president, in response to a survey conducted by the
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. AOPA sent questionnaires to
McCain and the Democrat candidate, Senator Barack Obama, and posted
their responses on the AOPA web site.